Background supports



Oct. 4, 1960 c. w. DAVIS BACKGROUND SUPPORTS Filed Dec. 19, 1958 IN VEN TOR.

ATTORNEYS.

Unite States Paten't' fO BACKGROUND SUPPORTS Charles W. Davis, 22730 Hilliard Road,

Rocky River, Ohio Filed Dec. '19, 1958, Ser. No. 781,740

Claims. (Cl. 160-120) My invention relates to backgrounds for use in photographic studios, store window displays, and the like and more particularly to supporting means therefor.

The most convenient method for storing background material, particularly background material of substantial width, is to wind the same upon a roller. The widths of such material which are currently available are vari ous and are commonly found to be as much as 9 or 12 feet. The size of these rolls makes them extremely difficult to handle and to store, particularly when it is desirable to have them available in dilferent colors or patterns for immediate use.

One of the primary objects of the present invention is to provide a holder for mounting a plurality of different background materials whereby they are selectively available to the user at all times.

An additional object of the present invention is to provide such a holder which is adaptable for rolls of back ground material of different lengths.

A still further object of my invention is to provide such a holder Which enables the user to handle extremely large and cumbersome rolls.

Yet another object of my invention is to provide a holder of the above type which may be easily mounted to the ceiling or walls of a studio whereby the background material does not take up valuable floor space when stored.

A still further object of my invention is to provide a holder as set forth above for use with a plurality of rolls of background material wherein each roll is positively maintained against unrolling when not in use.

I further have as an object of my invention the provision of a holder having all of the above characteristics which is strong, highly durable in use, and in which the mechanism thereof is reduced to the least number of simple parts.

These and other objects of my invention will be readily apparent from the following specification and the accompanying drawings, in which said drawings:

Fig. 1 is a longitudinal elevation of the background holder of my invention showing parts thereof in section for the purpose of clarity;

Fig. 2 is a view taken along the line 2-2 of Fig. 1; and

Fig. 3 is a view taken along the line 3--3 of Fig. 1.

Referring now to the figures of the drawings in all of which like parts are designated by like reference numerals, at *1 and 2 I show a pair of overhead supporting brackets secured to a ceiling or similar overhead member 3 by means of bolts or screws 5. The overhead bracket 2 has assembled therewith adjacent its downwardly projecting end a gear box 6 having a drive shaft 7 projecting laterally therefrom. The gear box 6 is mounted in any suitable manner to one sideof the bracket 2 whereby the drive shaft 7 projects through a bearing aperture 8 in said brackets and extends outwardly a short distance in the direction of overhead bracket 1. Said overhead bracket 1 is similarly apertured at 9 coaxially with the aperture rammed Oct. 4, 1960 ice 8. A spindle 10 made of pipe or similar tubular material is rotatably mounted at one end thereof within the bearing aperture 9 of the bracket 1 and at the other end thereof is telescoped over the drive shaft 7 of the gear box 6. A cotter pin 11 projects through aligned apertures 10a and 7a in the spindle 10 and the drive shaft 7 respectively whereby said spindle is maintained against longitudinal or rotative motion relative to said drive shaft.

The gear box 6 houses a gear 12 and a worm 13, said worm 13 being formed on one end of a shaft 14 which extends downwardly from the gear box 6 and is provided at the lowermost end thereof with a hook 15. The shaft 7 is mounted to the gear 12 and the spindle 10 is adapted to be rotated through the worm 13, said gear 12, and the drive shaft 7 in response to rotation of the hook 15. Said book 15 may be rotated in any suitable manner such as by a crank 16 having a looped portion 17 on the uppermost end thereof adapted to fit over said hook. It will be understood that the shaft 16a of the crank 16 is of sufiicient length whereby the operator may easily reach the hook 15 with the loop 17 to rotate the spindle 10.

A pair of end plates 20 and 21 are mounted upon the spindle 10 to rotate therewith adjacent the brackets 1 and 2 respectively. Said end plates 20 and 21 are provided with hub portions 20a and 21a and reinforcing ribs 20b and 21b respectively. Set screws 20c and 21c in the hubs 20a and 21a secure said end plates upon said spindle and provide means for circumferential and longitudinal adjustment thereof.

The rolls of background material, indicated at 25, are mounted between the end plates 20 and 21 radially outwardly from the centers thereof in circumferentially spaced relationship. Each roll and the means for mounting thereof is identical with each of the other rolls and, therefore, identical numerals will be used to designate corresponding parts.

Each roll of material is wound upon a hollow, cylindrical roller 26 made of cardboard or similar light, inexpensive, fibrous material. Dowels 27 tightly interfit the ends of the rollers 26 and project outwardly a short dis tance therebeyond. Said dowels are preferably made of wood and have rigidly mounted to the outer ends thereof support bearings 28. The support bearings 28 are provided with cup-shaped mounting portions 29 adapted to fit tightly over the outermost end of said dowels and centrally disposed, flat, transverse tongues 30 which project a substantial distance into thedowels 27. The support bearings 28 are drive fitted to the dowels 27 and adapted to rotate therewith. The ouwardly directed ends of said support bearings are provided with sockets 31 adapted to receive pins or shafts 33.

To mount the rolls 25 for rotation to the end plate 20, said end plate is provided with circumferentially interspaced apertures 32. Journal pins 33 project through the apertures 32 and are seated within the sockets 31, said pins being maintained within the sockets of the support bearings 28 by means of cotter pins 34. The journal pins 33 rotate freely within the apertures 32 whereby the background material may be freely unrolled.

At the opposite ends of the rolls 25 adjacent the end plate 21, said rolls are mounted upon a plurality of drive shafts 7 which project laterally from gear boxes 6 mounted upon said end plate 21.

Referring now to Fig. 2, it will be understood that the gear boxes 6' are substantially similar to the gear box 6 and house substantially the same mechanism. Said gear boxes are mounted in any suitable manner at circumferentially spaced intervals adjacent the periphery of the end plate 21 whereby the drive shafts 7 project in the direction of the end plate 20 and are axially aligned with *to cause the worms to rotate.

the apertures 32 and the 'journal pins 33. Said drive shafts 7 interfit the sockets 31 in those bearing supports 28 which are directed toward the end plate 21, said drive shafts being maintained therein by means of the cotter pins 34. The gear boxes 6 are so positioned upon the end plate 21 that the hooks 1'5, which are mounted upon shafts 14' of worms 13', project radially outwardly from the periphery of said end plate '21. it will be understood that rotation of the hooks 15 and the worms 13 will, by means of gears 12 cause rotation of the drive shafts 7 and therefore of the rolls 25.

In actual use, a plurality of rolls 25 are mounted between the end plates 23 and 21 as herein before described. .In the form shown there are four such rolls, but it will be understood that any desired number may be used. .Each of said rolls is preferably of a diiferent color or pattern for use as different backgrounds. To select the roll he prefers to use, the operator places the loop 17 over the book 15 and by means of the crank 16, rotates the entire roll assembly to the point where the desired background material is positioned in a lowermost position as indicated at A in Figs. 2 and 3. Said operator then disengages the loop I17 from the book 15 and reengages said loop with the downwardly directed hook '15 of Figs. 1 and 2. The crank 16 is then used to rotate the hook 15 whereby the material indicated at M in 'Fig. 3 is unrclled and lowered to form the desired background.

it will be "eadily apparent that the operator can rotate any one of the rolls 25 to the lowermost position wherein said roll may unwound. As indicated in the dotted line showing of Fig. 3 designated M, I also anticipate that each the plurality of rolls 25 may be provided with two lengths of background material contiguously positioned relative to each other and rolled upon the same roll. In this way when a particular background is lowered, one color or pattern will be directed in one direction and a separate color or pattern will be directed in the opposite direction. If such an arrangement were used, for example, in a studio and mounted centrally thereof, a single roll 25 could provide different backdrops seen and used from difierent directions.

It will be noted that because of the worm and gear arrangement of the rotating mechanism within the gear boxes 6, the rolls 25 will not become accidentally unrolled. The spindle ii) is also prevented from rotating except in response to deliberate movement of the worm 13. This feature results from the fact that although rotation of the worms will cause rotation of the respective gears, it is virtually impossible to rotate the gears This assures that each roll of mate-rial will stay in a rolled condition until it is desired to be used by the operator, and the entire unit "will maintain Whatever circumferential position the "op erator chooses.

It will also be apparent that the brackets l and .2 can be centrally angled whereby said brackets may be mounted to the vertical walls of a room instead of to the ceiling. Said brackets 1 and 2 may also bemounted to other brackets notherei-n illustrated which 'aremounted t the wall.

It is to be further noted that the :present device is :readily adaptable for different :size rolls due to the :fact

that the end members 2% and 21 are longitudinally andjustable. By loosening the set screws 2ilc2lc, the end plates 272i can be moved along the spindle to accommodate either wider or narrower rollsof material.

I am aware that many changes may be madeiin my invention, such as changes in size and dimension, Without departing from the spirit thereof or the scope of the appended claims.

What Iclaim is: p

1. A multiple background support device of the type described comprising a spindle, support means for said :spindle, mechanism for rotating said spindle .mounted upon said support means, a crank for operating said mechanism, said crank detachably connected to said mechanism, a pair of end members mounted on said spindle, a plurality of rollers mounted between said end members to rotate about axes radially spaced from the axis of said end members, separate mechanical means connected to each of the rollers and mounted to one of said end members to individually relatively rotate said rollers, and each of said separate mechanical means adapted for detachable connection with said crank where by said crank is operable with said mechanism to rotate a selected one of said rollers to a predetermined position and is operablewith that one of said separate mechanical means associated with said selected roller to rotate said selected roller.

2. A multiple background support device of the type described comprising a spindle, a pair of brackets supporting said spindle at the ends thereof, mechanism for rotating said spindle mounted upon one of said brackets, a crank for operating said mechanism, said crank detach ably connected to said mechanism, a pair of end members coaxially mounted upon said spindle, a plurality of rollers mounted between said end members to rotate about axes radially spaced from the axis of said end members, individual mechanical means connected to each of the rollers and mounted to one of said end members to selectively rotate said rollers, and each of said individual mechanical means adapted for detachable connection with said crank whereby said crank is operable with said mechanism to rotate a selected one of said rollers to *a predetermined position and is operable with that one of said individual mechanical means associated with said selected roller to rotate said selected roller.

3. A multiple background support mechanism of the type described comprising a spindle, a pair of support brackets, a housing member mounted to a first of said brackets and having intermeshin-g worm and gear members jour-naled therein, said spindle mounted at one end to said gear member and freely journaled at the opposite end in the second of said brackets, said worm adapted for detachable connection With acrank, a pair of :end members mounted upon said spindle, a plurality of housing members mounted to one of said end members,-said plurality of housing members each having intermeshing worm and gear members journaled therein, a plurality of .rolls having flexible material wound thereon each having one end thereof mounted to one of said second mentioned gear members and each having the opposite end thereof freely journaled in the other of said end plates, and each of said second mentioned worms adapted .for detachable connection with said crank whereby said crank :is operable with said first mentioned worm to rotate a selected one of said rolls to a predetermined position and is operable with that one :ofx-said second mentioned worms associated with said selected roll to unwind the material from said selected roll.

4, In a multiple background support of the type having a spindle, impair of support means for said spindle, end members mounted upon said spindle, and a plurality of rolls having flexible material wound thereupon rotatably :mounted between said end members, the combination with "a plurality of housing members each having intermes'hing worm and .gear members journaled therein, a

shaft extending from each said gear and attachment .means extending from each said worm, one of said housing'mem'bers being mounted to one of said support means whereby'the shaft of said associated ,gear provides driving means at one end of said spindle, the other of said.

ably engaging any of said attachment means selectively.

5. A multiple background support mechanism comprising a pair of vertically disposed support brackets, one of said brackets having worm and gear rotating means mounted thereon, a drive shaft projecting horizontally from said gear and attachment means projecting downwardly from said worm, a horizontally disposed spindle mounted at one end to said drive shaft and freely journaled at the opposite end in the other of said brackets, a pair of longitudinally adjustable end plates concentrically mounted upon said spindle, one of said end plates having a plurality of worm and gear rotating means mounted thereon providing horizontally projecting, circumferentially spaced drive shafits from each gear of said second mentioned rotating means, each worm of said second mentioned rotating means having attachment means extending radially beyond said end plate whereby when each said attachment is rotated to a lowermost position it projects downwardly, a plurality of rolls of flexible material mounted at one end to said second mentioned shafts and freely journaled at the opposite end thereof to said other end plate, the combination wherein a single crank means engages said first mentioned attachment means to rotate a selected one of said rolls to a lowermost position and thereafter engages the attachment means which is downwardly directed to rotate said lowermost roll to unwind the material thereof.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 624,111 Snow May 2, 1899 649,038 Barnett May 8, 1900 2,549,912 Lindsay Apr. 24, 1951 

